Angel's Decay
by Daemonchan
Summary: Ran will do anything to save Ayachan...even betray Weiss? RanKen challenge for Tschubichan!


angel

Angel's Decay

A Weiss Kreuz Fan Fiction

By Daemonchan

**In response to Tschubi-chan's challenge on the WKFF--This idea popped into my head after I saw the picture and it wouldn't leave me alone until I got it all out! I always work better when challenged. Arigatou, Tschubi-chan!**

Warnings: Shounen ai (RanKen), violence

~*~*~*~

Ran was dreaming again, something he had dreaded since the day Aya-chan went into her coma, since he had become a killer for Weiss Kreuz. He unconsciously tensed as he waited for the parade of the dead that haunted him, their faces bloodied and their bodies torn by his blade.

He was not prepared for the scene that opened before him. Swift images of the fiery haired telepath, Schuldich, flashed before his mind's eye. He could hear the cocky German's voice ringing in his head, taunting him with the intimate contact.

__

I control you. I can touch your very soul and you can do nothing to stop me.

Ran turned away, trying to hide from the sparkling eyes of his nemesis. He caught the flash of red hair in the smooth silver of his katana, the bakana German just over his shoulder.

"What is it you want, Fujimiya?" Tendrils of Schuldich's mind invaded Ran's. He felt himself responding to the almost erotic invasion, his breath quickening almost painfully. He wanted to scream but only begging moans escaped his lips. "Do you want to be controlled?"

The pale boy turned quickly, his blade sweeping an arc through empty air. Arrogant laughter floated around him.

"What do you want most in this world, Fujimiya? That boy, Hidaka?"

The ghostly image of the dark haired Ken appeared before him for a moment, Schuldich's arm resting across his strong shoulders. Ran screamed in anger. "Shut up!"

The German materialized before him, his eyes shining with mirth. He did so enjoy teasing the poor leader of Weiss. The flame haired boy's temper was as quick as his hair was red.

Schuldich's voice was mocking as it entered his head. _No. Something deeper. Hidaka is not what drives you night after night…he's not why you hunt so tirelessly for the evils of the world._

With a cry, Ran charged at Schuldich, trying to ignore the horrible tickle that began at the back of his head, indicating that the mind reader was sifting through his memories as if he were turning the pages of a scrapbook. Ran decided that telling the German what he wanted to know would spare the images he harbored of his friends; he would protect them by giving up his deepest secret.

He stopped just in front of Schuldich, dropping his katana to his side. "Aya-chan."

The strange buzz stopped short, almost as if Schuldich was surprised. His deep eyes didn't reveal his emotions though, and if anything, the smile became smugger.

__

Is that all? Well, I didn't really expect anything less of you, oh noble hearted one. 

There was a sudden flash that blinded Ran and he found himself sitting up in bed, sheets tossed from his naked body. An equally naked Ken Hidaka lay next to him, oblivious to his koi's distress. 

Ran found himself smiling as he looked down on the peaceful boy next to him, the dream terror quickly leaving his limbs. The details were faded, but a strange feeling remained, as if something important had occurred but he could not remember. He got up to shower, sure that the answer would come to him in time.

~*~*~*~

Ran shook his head as he caught himself staring out the window yet again. There at the very back of his mind, was the uncomfortable sensation that he had forgotten something important. Even the ever present giggling of the girls who flocked to their flower shop couldn't break through to him. Many of the girls turned away in disappointment as Ran continued to ignore them, even when they offered to buy something and leave.

Without a word, Ran disappeared into the basement, leaving a surprised Omi to tend the shop. 

The frantic boy was suddenly swamped by a hoard of screaming shoujo. Omi yelled after his retreating friend. "Oi, Aya-kun? A little help here? You know Youji-kun won't be up until noon!"

The blood haired leader did not hear Omi's pleas as he reached the bottom of the spiral stairs, still concentrating on the vague feeling that had plagued him since waking from his nightmare. 

__

There is something you have to do… Somewhere you have to go…

The feeling was becoming more solid. He was looking…for someone…for…

He almost had it. With a growl of frustration, he began changing into his Weiss clothes, following the unconscious suggestion that he would need them.

Ran was fastening the last of the silver clasps on his jacket as Ken walked in, pulling a brush through his thick brown hair. He was only half dressed in a pair of rumpled pajama bottoms, his muscular chest still shiny with moisture from his shower. Usually, Ran would have ravished the boy right then and there, but he was only half-aware that the other boy was even in the room with him.

"Oi, Ran. Ohayou. Omi-kun said you were down here." He stopped as he realized that Ran was in his assassin's gear, long katana gripped in one hand. "Doko ikimasu ka?" Ken smiled at his lover, trying to lighten the dour expression the red head had had since waking up that morning.

Ran looked up at Ken, distracted at the question, his purple eyes unfocusing for a moment. "Mission."

Ken fixed his lover with an incredulous look. "In the middle of the day? What about the others?"

"No others. For me."

Ken resisted the urge to touch Ran's shoulder. There was something dark in his koi's eyes…something not right. And forcing the issue when Ran didn't want to talk about it was the wrong way to go about it.

"Okay, I guess I'll see you later then." 

Ran only nodded as he left Ken staring in wonder. Ken collected his own gear and began dressing, sudden fear filling his heart. Something was wrong with Ran…and he needed Ken with him even if he wouldn't admit it.

~*~*~*~

Crawford frowned as Schuldich groaned, his eyes studying the German with curious intensity. His German partner had dragged them all here after hitting upon a brilliant idea in the middle of the night. The American was beginning to doubt that even Schuldich's unnatural powers would be strong enough to pull it off.

Suddenly the red head stood, his face weary but his eyes alight with glee. "Stop staring, Bradley. Fujimiya is on his way."

Nagi stood just behind Crawford's shoulder, his eyes worried. Schuldich had been standing at the edge of the building for the entire night, his blue eyes closed in intense concentration. An unusually attentive Farfarello had stayed at his side the entire time, watching with a strange amber eye.

"I hope you know what you are doing."

Schuldich laughed harshly as he stretched, his muscles stiff from holding his intense position. "Believe me, Bradley. I planted that suggestion so deep, it'll nag him forever."

"What suggestion? What did you do?"

With an evil smile, the German telepath put his arm around Nagi's slim shoulders. "Let's just say that Fujimiya is going to have this uncontrollable urge to come and visit me." His blue eyes glittered dangerously. "Very soon."

~*~*~*~

Ken was amazed at how easy it was to follow Ran as he headed across town. An experienced assassin of Weiss would have noticed Ken's tailing after a mile, but Ran wasn't paying attention. His mind was consumed with the nagging urge he'd woken up with. The feeling seemed to intensify as he approached the place he knew he needed to be, though he was still unsure of why he needed to be there.

He stopped in front of a new building, one that hadn't even opened yet by the looks of the fresh construction in the area. He had just entered the glass doors, finding them unlocked, when Ken pulled up behind his car on his motorcycle. The boy watched with sad slate eyes as his lover disappeared in a swirl of red leather. He looked up the building, eyes squinting against the glare of sun on glass. There were a ton of floors but Ken's gut feelings were guiding him to the roof. And he had to get there without being noticed. He smiled as he looked at the buildings on either side of this one and headed for the front door of the nearest one.

__

I'm coming for you, Ran.

Ran wasn't even aware of his surroundings as he stalked down the narrow lobby for the elevator in the back. He walked in and pushed a button, his mind focussed on ridding himself of the insistence that he needed to reach his destination soon. He got off on the top floor and was immediately guided to his right. An emergency door marked "Stairs" was at the end of the hall, and that too was suspiciously unlocked. A small warning fought against Ran's mindlessness and he had the foresight to at least draw his blade before he reached the top of the stairs.

Ran found himself standing on the roof, staring off over the high rises of Tokyo. Birds cooed on the ledge, the wings shattering the silence as they took flight. His boots crunched lightly on the white gravel as he walked from the stairwell house, led by an strange urge.

"You made it."

Schuldich laughed harshly at the surprise on Ran's face. The emotion disappeared quickly, and a silver blade was raised as Ran was once again consumed by his calm façade. 

"What do you want, Fujimiya?"

The words triggered something deep inside Ran's mind, flashes of his nightmare returning. The blade dipped a little as he questioned himself. Why _was_ he here? The nagging feeling returned with a vengeance, working its way through Ran's usually controlled mind.

Schuldich's smile broadened as he reached carefully into the other red head's mind, creeping so gently into the areas that left the boy open to suggestions. "What do you want most in this world Fujimiya?"

Again, those familiar words. The response was automatic. "Aya-chan." He glared at the German with icy violet eyes. "You …you can bring her mind back to her body…"

__

Almost there…Soon you'll be mine…

~*~*~*~

Ken stared in horror as he saw Ran frozen in front of the German. Instead of cutting the man down with his sword, he was talking with him. The boy was sure his lover was being controlled by the telepath, though one would have thought that Ran was too hard to control that way.

Something else then. Ken dashed forward, ducking again behind an air duct, close enough to here what Ran was saying to Schuldich.

Schuldich was answering what Ran had just said. "I could. But I probably won't. I mean, I am Schwarz after all. Why on Earth would I do that for you?"

Ran's response was quiet, and almost pleading. Ken risked a glance around the edge of the duct, the blank look in his lover's violet eyes confirming his suspicion that Schuldich was only messing with Ran's head. But if he didn't do something soon, the German would have what he came for, and would kill Ran once he had what he needed.

"I…I will give you…" Again the hesitancy. Schuldich cursed silently as his exhaustion caused him to slip inside Ran's mind, the boy's strong psyche becoming aware of his presence. He tried again, filling Ran's head with visions of a very live, and very happy Aya-chan. Aya playing, Aya dating, all the wonderful things that had been stolen from her that terrible night of her birthday. The desire won out and Ran uttered his words of betrayal. "I will give you Weiss."

__

That's my boy! Just a little more…

Ken's chest constricted painfully as he heard Ran's damning words. The German had touched something deep within Ran to force him to give up his friends, betray his lover…

__

Please, Ran! Fight him!

Schuldich looked away for a moment, another mind tickling at the edge of his. But the lapse in concentration had been enough. He found the razor keen edge of Weiss' blade cutting into his Adam's apple, Ran's eyes hard with barely controlled fury.

"You lied. You used Aya-chan's memory against me." He pressed the blade a little harder, watching with satisfaction as a tiny rivulet of blood flowed down Schuldich's neck and began to stain the white shirt beneath. "You…I…I almost betrayed Weiss!"

Schuldich smiled almost pleasantly as he recognized the self-hate in Ran's tone. Though his plan had been ruined, he had still managed to place the seed of doubt in Fujimiya's soul…and that seed might be enough to defeat the leader of Weiss.

"Yeah, well…You can't blame a guy for trying, can you?"

He jumped back swiftly, gasping as the sword flashed forward enough to leave a narrow cut along his neck. Ran watched in fury, violet eyes dark with the promise of death.

"Why?" 

Schuldich waved as if the answer were obvious. "You guys are a pain in our ass. Together, you are almost formidable, but alone…" He shook his head at Ran. "One by one, we will destroy all that is Weiss. Then we will be free to pursue our chaos unopposed."

"I don't think so!"

With a flash of brown and orange, Ken had dashed forward and swiped up at the German's chest. Ran fell back with a cry, his chest tightening as he realized that his lover had followed him. He felt the surprise in his mind as Schuldich pulled back, leaving Ran with the sick guilt that he had almost allowed himself to be tricked into revealing Kritiker because the German had subtly manipulated his inner most desire.

Ran called after Ken when he was suddenly faced with the lone amber eye of the madman, Farfarello. 

"Shall we hurt God, noble one? I think he would weep most piteously at your death…"

He began hurling his daggers, the silver blades burying them in the roof at Ran's feet as he danced backwards. He laughed as he charged forward, not even noticing the small cuts that appeared about his body as Ran's katana slashed into his skin. Soon he was too close for swordplay and Ran was forced to abandon his precious blade. 

Schuldich cursed in German, nothing but a blur of green and white as he dodged Ken's swift claws. He hadn't sensed the boy because he had focused all his energies on getting Ran to reveal the secrets of Kritiker, touching the other boy's mind so subtly that Ran would have never even been aware that he was doing it.

Where the fuck was Crawford and the others anyway?

__

Here. Farfarello is taking care of Fujimiya. Bring Hidaka towards the stairs.

Easier said than done. Ken was fighting with unrivalled passion as he chased the red haired Schwarz across the rooftop, smiling as his tiger claws ripped through the fabric of Schuldich's suit. Though he was barely even touching Schuldich, the German was hard pressed to avoid being gutted by the razor sharp bugnuk. With another leap he landed near the stairwell house, gasping slightly. 

"Eh, Hidaka. I brought my friends. Where are yours?"

Ken didn't have time to answer as the pale form of Nagi appeared from the shadows of the stairwell house, his hands raised in front of him. Crawford joined him with a malicious smile, and nodded. With a cry, the telekinetic boy unleashed his power, a wave of invisible energy sweeping across the roof and slamming into the surprised Weiss. 

Ken was helpless as he was hurled through the air, his body caught in the intangible grip of Nagi's mind wave. He twisted slightly, heart stopping as he realize that he was going over the ledge…falling…

__

God! Ran! Save me!

He could only watch as the dark form of the alleyway rushed to meet him. He heard the sick crunch of his body on plastic and metal and then all was dark.

~*~*~*~

Ran watched with sick horror as Ken faced off against Schuldich, the pale little Schwarz stepping from the shadows. There was a shout and Ken was thrown back…over the edge…Ran screamed in tortured hate as he slammed Farfarello to the roof. "KEN! NO!"

He raced to where he had seen Ken disappear, hands gripping the ledge to keep himself from jumping over to save him. Cruel laughter echoed at his back. He couldn't even make himself turn around and face Schwarz, his eyes on the too still body of his lover in the dark alley below.

Schuldich waved a hand. "Well, not the Weiss I planned on killing, but hell, I'll take what I can get." With another laugh, he and Schwarz left Ran alone on the roof, his form frozen with guilt and disbelief.

__

See you around, Fujimiya…

"NOOO!!!"

~*~*~*~

Ran could feel the tears burning at the corner of his eyes. Ken looked so pale, even against the white sheets, his body bandaged about his chest, arm and forehead.

"Oh, koi."

Ran didn't even recognize his own voice. He felt like he was being crushed by his guilt, cursing himself for not being able to see that his mind was being controlled.

__

You couldn't have known.

The soothing voice sounded like Ken, trying to bring reason into his lover's mind. Ran ignored the voice, standing at the bedside, watching the play of the setting sun on Ken's sleeping form.

__

For me. Ken did it for me.

Ran swallowed against the tears, gently stroking the bruised skin of Ken's arm. The white bandages looked so strange against the black and blue marks on the tan flesh. Fortunately, it was mostly bruises, though a couple ribs had been cracked and his arm had been cut up by some glass in the dumpster he had had the incredible luck to fall into. The horrible scene replayed itself in Ran's head, every excruciating moment burned into his memory forever.

__

Ran fighting Farfarello. Ken smiling as he fought with the German telepath. Nagi…Why hadn't he seen Nagi standing there, hidden in the shadows of the stairwell house…

Ken's scream as the kinetic pushed him…the fall…

Ken began to thrash in his sleep, his head tossing against the pillow as he sought to escape from his nightmares. Ran reached up to still him, mindful of the gauze around his head. His touch seemed to calm his love, but the dreams still tortured the injured boy. Ran felt his heart breaking. Ken was reliving the horror all over again.

Without thinking, Ran quickly removed all his clothes, leaving the bloodied pile on the floor. He climbed into the bed next to Ken, bringing his lover close to his chest. Ken clung to him as a lifeline, his breathing becoming calmer as he slept in his koi's warmth. Ran bend to kiss his forehead, smoothing away the tears in Ken's closed eyes.

"I was a fool. I would have betrayed Weiss…you…for a foolish hope…" Ran felt himself drifting to sleep, his amethyst eyes becoming clouded by exhaustion. "Forgive…"

The last word was nothing more than a whisper, and the two lovers slept on. < />

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